Remember when Level-5 said it made the last Professor Layton starring the titular professor? Well, turns out Level-5 honcho Akihiro Hino is happy how the last Layton game turned out and recently said (via ANN), “I’m thinking I want to make a new Layton.”

Dumb Facebook “Joke” Leads to Swift Ice Cream Justice

Summer is hot. One way to cool down is with delicious ice cream. But after a recent Facebook joke, numerous people in Japan probably don’t feel like getting ice cream from this Japanese convenience store chain. Originally from the United States, Lawson is now one of the largest franchise chains in Japan, where it’s now…

Pokémon Modded to Skyrim for Some Reason

Just because you can do something, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. That didn’t stop Steam user DJSuperGenius from adding Pocket Monsters to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The mod’s description might explain better. No, wait, strike that. Nothing can explain this. Pokémon? In Skyrim? Yes, you read that correctly. You now can Battle Pokemon,…

The Only Place You’ll See Skyrim, Batman & BioShock Get Together

The closer we get to Comic-Con, the better the cosplay gets. That’s not opinion, it’s science. So this week’s cosplay roundup is just a little better than last week’s, and I imagine next week’s will be even better still Not that every costume here was made for the show. Obviously, many weren’t. They’ll have nothing…

Sub-Zero…Wins…But So Does Superman…And Wonder Woman…

Bernard Beneteau is a senior character artist at WB Games, where he most recently did a lot of work on fighting game Injustice. He’s previously worked at Ubisoft and Midway. Prior to Injustice, Benetau also contributed to the Mortal Kombat reboot (MK9) and the MK vs DC game. You can see more Injustice art in…

An Album That Looks Like A Badass Old Video Game

Ghidoragh is the name of a New Zealand band who just put out their first EP, called Threat Level Ultra. It’s fantastic. Not just because it’s inspired by video games, and has a badass Roger Dean-inspired cover art reminiscent of old Psygnosis art, but because they skipped releasing it on vinyl or CD and are…

When Losing A Game Actually Means Something

Death or defeat in a video game is normally something to be glossed over, brushed aside as you continue (or repeat) a stage on your way to inevitable victory. A quick “GAME OVER” screen, maybe a prompt or two, then you’re back into the action. Where’s the realism in that? The sense of consequence? Life…

Ultra Street Fighter IV Will Be Out In 2014

The update to Street Fighter IV that spilled out yesterday now has a name: it’s going to be sold in a complete pack as Ultra Street Fighter IV, which adds five new fighters to the game, along with a range of tweaks. Four the five fighters have been announced. They’re Rolento, Poison, Hugo and Elena.…

Awesome Tattoo Looks Like Suit Of Armor

Dmitry Bronya is the man responsible for this incredible tattoo, which looks less like a heart or Koi fish, and more like something that’d protect you from a maniac swinging a giant blade. I normally look at tattoos and think that while it looks cool now, in 10, or 20, or 30 year’s time, it’ll…

Crazy Mario Kart Cosplay Features…Famous Race Driver

Sebastian Vettel is the defending Formula 1 world champ. You could argue that makes him the best race driver in the world. But as we all know, skill alone means squat in a game of Mario Kart. Vettel took part in the German edition of the Red Bull Soapbox Race over the weekend, dressed as…

Where Gaming Meets Jackass (And Humiliated Humans)

That’s how new show Saigo No Senshi is billed by its creators. And…it’s pretty much on the money. People play games, games result in stupid challenges, the challenges result in physical pain. Sounds simple, but as with most kinds of shows of this type, it all hinges on the chemistry and humour of those involved.…

A Guide To Fighting Game Words You Might Not Understand

As the business end of Evo 2013 approaches, and spectator numbers swell, there might be those among you who want to watch the action go down but have no idea what people are actually talking about. This handy guide, by the folks at Shoryuken, should help. You’ll especially want to check out the “What on…

This upcoming remake of Rise of the Triad will get a “Ludicrous Development Kit” stocked with classic assets, letting users make levels that look like they came from 1995. The mod kit will be available after the game’s launch on July 31. This video explains what to do with it.

Martian Manhunter and John Stewart Are Coming to Injustice

Long anticipated—practically since the game’s release—Martian Manhunter was at last confirmed for Injustice: Gods Among Us as a downloadable addition to the fighting game’s roster, along with a John Stewart Green Lantern skin. NetherRealm Studios announced the new fighters at EVO 2013 today. When Injustice polled fans for their preferences for additional fighters back in…

Smash Bros. Survives Ban, Becomes Biggest Fighting Stream In History

It’s a good thing Nintendodidn’t follow through with its reported attempts to ban streams of Smash Bros. Melee from this year’s Evo fighting game tournament. Because it just became, for the time being at least, the biggest fighting game stream of all time. At its peak during the game’s finals held earlier today, over 130,000…

Custom Difficulty Gives an Honest Challenge—and Leaves Time to Rally

I move through the stages of difficulty in a sports video game like the stages of grief. Expert, Pro, Hard, Medium and Easy might as well be named Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. In the past, I’ve started somewhere between anger and depression before moving on to acceptance. A couple weeks ago, Forza Horizon‘s…

The Week in Games: Western Dynasty

What can we say, it’s the middle of summer. This is the slow season for new releases. The week’s big highlights include Dynasty Warriors 8 and Shin Megami Tensei IV arriving in North America on Tuesday, Monday • Need For Speed Most Wanted All DLC Bundle (PC) Tuesday • Turbo: Super Stunt Squad (360, PS3,…

Happy 30th Birthday to Video Gaming’s Most Famous Brother

Today, according to Nintendo, is Luigi’s 30th birthday. The company says Mario Bros.—which introduced Mario’s taller sibling—was released July 14, 1983—a day before the Famicom console launched in Japan. Strangely enough, I have a vivid memory of this game’s debut. My family was on vacation in August 1983, going up the Eastern Seaboard. I actually…

Valve Opens ‘Pipeline’ to High Schoolers Interested in Making Games

Valve, makers of 2007’s Half Life 2: Episode 2, is reaching out to teenagers interested in games development through “Pipeline,” a program being administered by the company’s own interns. “[W]e are frequently asked questions by teenagers about the videogame industry,” Valve wrote on the project’s Web site. “‘What is it like to work on videogames?…

Moneysaver: Steam Summer Sale Day 4 Breakdown [Updated Monday 10:30am]

Dealvalanche. Steam Sale Day One | Steam Sale Day Two | Steam Sale Day Three | Current Moneysaver | GTAV PS3 Bundle | Vote for Monaco, and FEZ would be a repeat anyway, not that I don’t love me some FEZ. • Community Sale Left 4 Dead 2 ($5) | Repeat • Flash Sale PES…